This week we talked about how we educate ourselves as EMS and disaster responders. How do we stay up with the latest science and product knowledge for optimum patient care? Dr. Joe Holley recently attended the New York City Fire Department Special Operations conference and tells us about some of the tools he was most impressed with.

Our friend Jim Logan jumped in with thoughts about different uses for equipment and the fact that newer products are small enough to be mobile, which is especially helpful in the austere environment. Equipment that was, not that long ago, experimental and expensive is now being used routinely in disaster work.

We discussed innovative new equipment to assist with cardiac arrest and bleeding control. What about diagnostics like ultrasound that can be plugged into a computer or tablet? We also have the ability to share video information with higher level medical providers off site. How do people learn about these devices? Training, especially on “real tissue†as we have experienced in the Paragon cadaver labs, gives the user a more realistic experience.

We ended with a teaser about the need for a different model in handling active shooter and MCI incidents with tactical EMS. What are the best practices and current thinking in this area?